1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to methods and apparatuses for processing images. More specifically, this invention is related to methods and apparatuses for adjusting the size of an image.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the rapid development of consumer electrical products, webcams have become basic equipment for remote communications, and the functions provided by a webcam are more and more diversified. Many image processing procedures, for example, resizing and edge enhancing, are now integrated into webcams.
In prior arts, general image resizing methods and apparatuses transform images conformed to Bayer patterns into data in a RGB or YUV plane before resizing the images. Although the requirement on image qualities for webcams is lower than that for digital cameras or digital video recorders, a real-time speed of displaying images is more demanding for webcams. Because most image resizing methods and apparatuses in prior arts are very complicated, delays often occur when the images outputted by a webcam are displayed. Besides, prior arts have to use a DRAM for temporarily storing a whole image during the procedure of resizing the image. The cost of a DRAM inevitably increases the price of a webcam.
Furthermore, some image resizing techniques in prior arts divide an image into a plurality of blocks with the same sizes, for example, blocks with sizes equal to 8×8 or 14×14, before performing resizing procedure. The dividing procedure causes block effects in resized images.